So, how are those New Year's resolutions going?

Every year we tell ourselves we need to make some changes. We come up with a list of things we need to alter and by the end of the month, we are deflated. Even with our mortgages and car loans, we build in consequences for failed or late payments to reduce the chance of delinquency. The carrot is the home or the vehicle, the stick contains late payment fees, reduced credit score and forfeiture of our property.

There are plenty of reasons why we fail when attempting self improvements.

Let's start with consciousness. Renowned physicist, Michio Kaku defines consciousness as

• any feedback loop that models an environment,

• can impact that environment somehow and

• responds to the consequences of those changes.

He explains that even a thermostat has a consciousness, albeit limited, and classified as Level 0 . A model is created that measures temperature, that knows the temperature and can do something about it. A thermostat responds by closing a circuit and activating either the heat or air to achieve the set value of the preferred temperature.

Plants, however, are aware of the temperature, the humidity, the sun's direction, the ph level and moisture of the soil as well as the presence of parasites and they can respond to all those variables. Insects have to know their location and surroundings, the difference between things they can eat and things that can eat them and they have to find mates. These are Level 1 consciousness and require hundreds of feedback loops.

Social mammals comprise level 2 consciousness and require thousands of feedback loops. They have to know everything insects know as well as understand where they stand among members of their community; they have to imagine how other individuals in their community feel about them. Wolves, for example, have remarkably sophisticated social and emotional intelligence and their model of reality has to incorporate the models of reality within the brains of other wolves.

Humans, alone, occupy level 3 consciousness because of our unique set of feedback loops devoted to understanding time. Humans can dwell on the past and plan for the future. We keep little replicas of other animals' consciousness in our own map of reality. We imagine what others think and feel about us so we can fit into the complex culture created by other humans to engage in social collaboration and competition. For more information watch https://bigthink.com/hard-science/what-is-consciousness-michio-kaku/

One of the ways we can suspend our awareness of time and any feedback loops associated with them is through procrastination. Psychology Today, Apr 10, 2014 stated that commitment “evokes a strong sense of intention and focus,” which we all know is completely absent when one is procrastinating. So a tendency to procrastinate isn't so much a time-management issue as it is an issue of intent. It's an inability to commit. Without a means of accountability, your intentions are valid but your focus can become dissipated.

In today's world there is a plethora of stimuli contributing to procrastination. The Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science 5 (2016) 97–102 assessed the relations between self-reported procrastination, psychological distress, acceptance, cognitive fusion, attention to the present-moment, and committed action.

• Depression and Anxiety are primary symptoms of psychological distress

• Cognitive Fusion is the extent to which an individual fuses with their thoughts

• Mindful Attention Awareness is ability to pay attention to present moment

• Committed Action is the extent to which a person engages in persistent action linked with chosen values

• ADHD has components of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that can all appear as procrastination but are part of neurodevelopmental disorder

• Trauma shrinks the hippocampus affecting memory & the ability to learn new things, problem solve, plan and complete tasks while the amygdala enlarges, facilitating endless fight/flight/freeze/fawn response.

In addition, Jayson Moran, Psychologist and Author has determined there are six different types of procrastinators: Perfectionist, Dreamer, Worrier, Defier, Crisis-Maker, and Overdoer.

The Perfectionist Procrastinator

Characteristics:

• Tend to put forth excessive amounts of time and energy to make sure that everything they do is perfect.

• Tend to put off starting tasks due to a fear of failure or doubts about doing it the “right way.”

• Tend to see everything in life as things that have to be done, not necessarily what they want to do.

Strategies for Perfectionist Procrastinators:

• Strive for excellence rather than perfection

• Focus on what’s realistic rather than ideal

• Avoid “all or nothing” thinking

• Change your “have to”s to “want to”s

• Give yourself a time limit for completing a task

• Make a daily “to do” list that’s short and practical

The Dreamer Procrastinator

Characteristics:

• Tend to recoil from anything that might be difficult or distressing.

• Tend to be passive rather than active.

• Tend to pay little attention to facts or details, making it hard to focus on and perform difficult tasks.

• Tend to think of themselves as special people, for whom fate will intervene, making hard work and efficiency unnecessary.

Strategies for Dreamer Procrastinators:

• Train yourself to differentiate between dreams and goals

• Develop the habit of thinking with “5 W’s and 1 H”: What, When, Where, Who, Why, and How.

• Change your wish’s, like to’s, and try to’s to will’s

• Change your someday’s and soon’s to specific times

• Plan each major project in writing, using a timeline and specifying each step you will need to take

• Seek more interaction with other people

The Worrier Procrastinator

Characteristics:

• Tend to be indecisive and often fail to commit to the specific decisions they do make.

• Tend to lack confidence in their own abilities, causing them to avoid or delay doing things.

• Tend to be dependent upon others for advice, reassurance, nurturance, and help

• Tend to have a high resistance to change, preferring the safety of the “known” over the risk of the “unknown.”

Strategies for Worrier Procrastinators:

• Recognize making no decision, is, in fact, a decision

• Follow a two-step decision-making process: first commit yourself to the goal, then deter- mine the steps you’ll take to achieve that goal.

• Change your I don’t know’s to One thing I do know is…

• Change your I can’t statements to compound sentences: I can’t…but I can…

• Each day, do at least one thing you’ve been consciously putting off

• Each week, do something that you’re generally uncomfortable doing

• Break down every large, intimidating project into an assortment of smaller, easier-to- manage tasks.

The Defier Procrastinator

Characteristics:

• Tend to see life in terms of what others expect or require them to do, not what they, themselves, would like or want to do.

• Tend to avoid expressing negative feelings; convey those feelings by procrastinating.

• Tend to use procrastination as a way of challenging authority.

• Tend to be pessimistic in nature, undercutting their motivation to complete tasks in a timely manner.

Strategies for Defier Procrastinators:

• Learn to view what someone else wants or expects as a request, not a demand.

• Mean what you say

• If you haven’t done something, own up to it.

• Strive to act rather than react

• Do what you know needs to be done

• Try to work with a team, not against it.

• Do something specific that will satisfy you because it’s done your way.

The Crisis-Maker Procrastinator

Characteristics:

• Tend to first ignore the task, then feel intensely caught up in it, when faced with an undesirable task.

• Tend to dramatize situations, making themselves the center of attention.

• Tend to be easily bored and resist the “dullness” of doing things rationally and methodically.

• Tend to have a need to prove themselves by living on the edge

Strategies for Crises-Make Procrastinators:

• Identify other self-motivators besides stress.

• Strive towards changing your thinking style from extremist and general to moderate and specific.

• Avoid overdramatic, polarized language

• When discussing a task or responsibility, try to focus on the positive or active, rather than the negative or reactive.

• Figure out methods for handling things so that you can avoid or more successfully manage- recurring crises.

• Create your own motivators to change a boring task to a more interesting one.

• Understand that you may not feel interested in something until after you get involved in it.

The Overdoer Procrastinator

Characteristics:

• Tend to suffer from low self-esteem, compelling them to take on more work than they can handle.

• Tend to have trouble saying “no” or asking for help.

• Tend to assume so many different responsibilities and roles that they easily get distracted from specific tasks and confused about priorities.

• Tend to lack true self-discipline, especially in regard to personal needs.

• Tend to find it very difficult to relax without feeling guilty or ashamed.

Strategies for Overdoer Procrastinators:

• Acknowledge the difference between priorities and demands.

• Try not to depend on other for approval

• Focus your thoughts on how you are going to gain control over things, not how things are controlling you.

• Don’t hesitate to say “no” to others when it’s appropriate.

• Talk more about your options than your obligations

• Make and follow daily “to-do” lists that make the best use of your time and energy

• Enlist help whenever appropriate.

• Incorporate an ample amount of leisure activities into your life

While technology plays a prominent role in some of our procrastination, from wasting time on social media to Netflix marathons and internet rabbit holes, we can harness the benefits of current technology to enhance our own feedback loops that foster the Level 3 consciousness to which Michio Kaku refers. Here are some apps to consider while you address procrastinating tendencies:

1. Virtue Map The app is based on daily lessons and practical exercises helping you rewire your brain and establish the necessary habits to defeat procrastination once and for all. Your plan consists of 90+ lessons distributed across 10 parts. Each lesson is designed to be short and sweet. Monthly subscription billed to every month for the 3-month program ($19.99 a month, $0.71 / day) or a one-time payment option for the three-month Virtue Map program ($39.99 one-time payment, $0.48 / day) https://virtuemap.com/

2. Focus@Will is based on neuroscience research, uses music to boost concentration and get you into a productivity flow, can extend your focus periods by 200-400%, offers a timer function and productivity tracker. A channel recommender helps you pick the right music for your needs, depending on your personality type, the kind of task you’re dealing with, and whether you’re struggling with mental health issues such as ADHD. Available for Android, iOS and as a web app. $69 annually and up. https://www.focusatwill.com/

3. Focus To-Do combines the Pomodoro technique, one of the most effective productivity techniques; it’s built around 25-minute work sessions interspersed with 5-minute breaks with to-do list features. Focus To-Do allows you to define tasks, including subtasks, recurring tasks, and assign deadlines. The app is available on all major platforms, including smartwatches. Your tasks will be synchronized across devices. The basic app is free, and premium plans start at $2.99 per month, with a lifetime license option priced at $8.99. https://www.focustodo.cn/

4. RescueTime automatically tracks the time you spend on various websites and applications, and classifies them into categories so you can analyze where and when you are productive and what the major threats to your productivity are. RescueTime allows you to summarily block out distractions, which is excellent for Pomodoro sessions. You can also set goals, such as spending less time on your emails or social media, and RescueTime will automatically assist you in reaching them. It also integrates with a variety of other productivity tools, such as calendar apps and Slack. The app is available on all major platforms and offers a free lite version, and its premium plans start at $6.50/month (billed annually). https://www.rescuetime.com/

5. Tomato Timer is available for free as a web app. You create Pomodoro sessions with either 5 or 10 minute breaks and it allows notifications for Chrome, Safari and Firefox. https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/tomato-timer

6. Rocket 135 For those overwhelmed by to-do lists, Rocket 135 allows you to prioritize your tasks. Rather than having to face multiple stressful, anxiety-inducing tasks per day, you pick one important project, three of medium importance, and five of low importance to complete. $2.50 monthly or $25 annually on Android /iOS.

7. Freedom will block distracting apps and websites—synced across all your devices. It’s even possible to shut the internet out entirely if you have to focus on an offline project. Perfect for social media addicts. $2.42/month (billed annually).

8. ToDoist Organize work, family and life with timelines, recurring tasks, delegation, priority levels, and productivity oversight. Free to $8 monthly https://en.todoist.com/

9. Trello is similar way to Todoist but you organize different tasks in cards which can be added to boards and assigned to different team members along with added comments, attachments, photos and more. It's great for people who work best with visuals. Free to $17.50 a month depending on size of teams. https://trello.com

10. Momentum is a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge that combines beautiful nature wallpapers, a distraction-free time display, inspirational quotes, and a prioritized to-do list. the free version of the app, you can set yourself daily priorities and other tasks. The premium option, at $3.33/month, also includes a Pomodoro timer and syncs with popular task managers. https://momentumdash.com/

11. Take a Five is available for free as a web app. The free version of the app, you can set yourself daily priorities and other tasks. You set a timer for however long you want your break to be and open a tab. Once your time is up, the app will automatically close this tab and remind you to go back to work. No more going down scrolling rabbit holes. https://www.takeafive.com/

12. Mindly helps you organize the deadlines, lists, and reminders cluttering your mind in a three-dimensional manner. Limited free version for Android /iOS that can be upgraded to premium for a one-time $6.99. Furthermore, a desktop app is available for Mac at $29.99.

13. FLOWN fosters clarifying your intentions, scheduling devoted times to tasks, pushing through deadlines and lets you work silently alongside others in Flocks: virtual co-working rooms that help you focus, resist distraction, and feel accountable. Free/ $25 monthly/$225 annually https://flown.com/

14. Forest lets you set a timer where a virtual forest will begin to grow from seedling to tree to a full forest and if you try and check your phone you'll be prompted with messages like "don't look at me" and "get back to work". If you then exit the app then your forest will die. When you successfully grow a forest you'll receive credits which actually go towards a real tree being planted through the charity Trees For The Future – what an incentive! It’s $1.99, with optional in-app purchases. https://www.forestapp.cc/en/

15. Sensa is a mobile application designed to work as your complete guide to improved mental health. Sensa utilizes developed techniques based upon the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to fight against a plethora of mental health issues, including anxiety, stress, depression, procrastination, ADHD, Self-esteem and burnout. All plans include 84 self-paced learning lessons, daily habit and mood tracking, a free-write journal space, weekly symptoms assessments, and various daily activities. Android/iOS between $29.99 and $104.88 depending on which subscription you choose and app store you use; Sensa doesn't offer a free version.

16. Write or Die is a web app to combat writer's block by exacting punishment if writers slow down or stop typing. The severity of punishments depends on the chosen mode, ranging from "Gentle" to "Kamikaze". This app is also not for the faint hearted. With Write or Die, a target amount of words is set for a selected period of time; if you fail to hit your target, and get distracted, by the time you open your word document again the app will have deleted all the vowels from whatever copy you had written so far. While drastic, it's a good way to keep you focused when you require motivation to get whatever is in your head out on the page. https://writeordie.com

17. Mindfulness has over 350 guided meditations and courses from experts around the world, we have options for every mood, time of the day, and for everyone from beginners to experienced, Android/iOS $16.99 monthly/$84.99 annually/$169 lifetime fee

18. Headspace offers guided meditations, courses, and mindfulness exercises on subjects like stress, general anxiety, worry, building resilience, and more, so you can make mindfulness a daily habit and be kind to your mind. Learn how to relax, manage stress, find your focus, and release tension in both the mind and body. Android/iOS $12.99 monthly or $69.99 annually

19. Breathe: Relax & Focus has 3 default breathing exercises as well as customized breathing patterns. 1) Equal Breathing: helps you relax, focus, and be present. 2) Box Breathing: also known as four-square breathing, is a simple and highly effective technique for stress relief. 3) 4-7-8 Breathing: also called “The Relaxing Breath” promotes better sleep. The exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system that eases the body into a state of calmness. Android/iOS

20. Waking Up: Beyond Meditation Created by Sam Harris, neuroscientist and best-selling author, to be the resource he wished he’d had when he began exploring meditation over 30 years ago. Sam only includes those practices and insights he’s found to be utterly life-changing. Think of it as a new operating system for your mind, and a guide to living a better life. Waking Up is free for anyone who can’t afford it. We never want money to be the reason why someone can’t benefit from what we’ve built.

21. Calm Improve sleep quality, reduce stress, anxiety & improve focus with guided meditations, sleep stories, music Available Android/iOS $14.99 monthly /$69.99 annually

AND FINALLY

the 10 best Ted talks about procrastination:

https://www.lifehack.org/820211/ted-talk-procrastination